This is the simplest of dishes, and very tasty. This recipe was sort of given to me many years ago by someone I sat next to at a dinner party, a Chesapeake Bay fisherman from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He told me to basically cook striped bass (also called rockfish in some places) like this but to cover the fish with crab imperial before sprinkling the Old Bay on top. That dish is even more fantastic, but more complicated and expensive–certainly not everyday fare in my household. But this simple fish dish is perfect for a busy day when you want something good and nutritious, but don’t want to put much effort into it. Even a frozen dinner isn’t really any easier than this, and this is so much better!
The day I made this, I wanted to buy striped bass from the Chesapeake Bay but it was unavailable. I chose to purchase black sea bass because it came from Rhode Island waters, which is very close to where I live in Connecticut. My thinking is that a) it is more sustainable to buy wild fish and b) if it comes from waters near where you live, it is more sustainable because there are less fossil fuels involved in the transport to your local store.
Before cooking
After cooking
1 ½ lbs. striped bass or black sea bass fillet
mayonnaise
Old Bay seasoning
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Spread mayonnaise on fish fillet, skin side down on baking sheet (covered with foil for easy clean-up). Sprinkle Old Bay seasoning over it. Bake for about 10 minutes. Test fish for doneness by seeing if it flakes with a fork inserted into the middle. Serves 4-5.